IBM Mainframe Forum

Hi,

I am trying to learn PARSE with SORT and ran below SORT but don't get expected results if I use STARTAFT but get it upon using ENDBEFR !!



Results:


Expected Results:


Can you please let me know where I am going wrong and why?

Thanks.

Hi Ranga,

Here is the detail explaination abt STARTAFT and ENDBEFR...

STARTAFT=string Optionally specifies a string, which indicates the start of the
parsed extraction of the variable field one byte after the string
(for example, a comma). The start position of the cursor for the
next parsed field is then set at the byte after the string. If the
string is not present, then blank characters will be inserted into
the current parsed field and all subsequent parsed fields.

You can specify the string as a character string constant
(C'string') or hexadecimal string constant (X'hh...hh'). For
example, a comma would be specified as STARTAFT=C','.

You can specify multiple instances and combinations of any
STARTAFT and STARTAT subparameter for a single %pp
parsed field. For example, PARSE=(%01=(STARTAFT=C'/',
STARTAFT=C'<',STARTAT=C'*',FIXLEN=5)). From left to
right, the first STARTAFT or STARTAT criterion to be satisfied
will be the one to be implemented.

ENDBEFR=string Optionally specifies a string, which indicates the end of the
parsed extraction of the variable field one byte before the string
(for example, a comma). The start position of the cursor for the
next parsed field is then set at the byte after the string.


If the string is not present, then data from the field will
continue to be extracted up until the end of the record. Blank
characters will be inserted into all subsequent parsed fields.

You can specify the string as a character string constant
(C'string') or hexadecimal string constant (X'hh...hh'). For
example, a comma would be specified as ENDBEFR=C','.

You can specify multiple instances and combinations of any
ENDBEFR and ENDAT subparameter for a single %pp parsed
field. For example, PARSE=(%01=(ENDBEFR=C'/',
ENDBEFR=C'<',ENDAT=C'*',FIXLEN=5)). From left to right,
the first ENDBEFR or ENDAT criterion to be satisfied will be
the one to be implemented.

3nath, I got the results with your code. But, why using of STARTAFT was not giving similar results? Whats wrong in it?

Thanks.

You take %00 as being six bytes. In some cases that is "eating" your first ".".

Similarly, even having started after a "." you still have a length which is sometimes eating another "." because you specify no "end".

Read the documentation (some is even provide by 3nath) and experiment until you fully understand the options of PARSE. Then you will be able to answer your own question.